Web of Spider-Man

Supercbbox
title = Web of Spider-Man
comic_color = background:#ff8080


caption = Cover to "Web of Spider-Man #1" (April, 1985). Featuring Spider-Man in his "black" costume. Art by Charles Vess.
schedule = monthly
format = discontinued
publisher = Marvel Comics
date = April 1985 - Oct. 1995
issues = 129
past_current_color = background:#ff9275
main_char_team = Spider-Man
writers = various
artists = various
pencillers =
inkers =
colorists =
creative_team_month =
creative_team_year =
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Web of Spider-Man is the name of a comic book series starring Spider-Man published by Marvel Comics for 129 issues between 1985 and 1995. It replaced "Marvel Team-Up" as the third major Spider-Man title of the time. Its first issue featured the return of Spiderman's alien black costume, which attempted to rebond with Peter. Peter managed to rid himself of the costume again using church bells and the alien was presumed to have died after that.

For the first several years of its run, and in 1990-1991, "Web of Spider-Man" had no permanent creative team. As a result, the book's quality was far less consistent than the other two major Spider-Man titles of the time, "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Spectacular Spider-Man". From 1984 to 1988, the personnel who contributed to the title included writers Louise Simonson, David Michelinie, Bill Mantlo, James Owsley, Gerry Conway, and Peter David, and pencillers Greg LaRocque, Jim Mooney, Sal Buscema, Marc Silvestri, Mike Zeck, and Mark Bagley.

The most frequent contributor to the book was artist Alex Saviuk, who pencilled over 80 issues of the series between 1988 and 1994. During his run on the title, Saviuk worked with a succession of writers: Gerry Conway (1989–1990), Howard Mackie (1992–1993), and Terry Kavanagh (1993–1995), and was succeeded by Steven Butler in 1994. Butler and writer Todd DeZago were the last creative team on the series before it was cancelled.

In issue #18, on the last page, Peter Parker is pushed in front of an oncoming train. He thinks to himself that this should not have happened, as his spider sense would have warned him of the danger. Writer David Michelinie has said that he wrote this as the first 'teaser' appearance of the character Venom, whom he was planning to introduce at a later date. Venom is an amalgam of reporter Eddie Brock and the alien costume. The costume could nullify Spider-Man's spider sense, and this was the first clue of a puzzle that Michelinie was planning to weave to introduce Venom. As he stopped writing "Web of Spider-Man" shortly after this issue, he did not have the chance to tie in the pushing of Peter Parker in front of the train with the appearance of Venom. Later, Michelinie wrote "Amazing Spider-Man", starting with issue #290. He, along with artist Todd McFarlane, did introduce Venom to great fanfare and fan response.

After #129 in October 1995, the title was renamed "Web of Scarlet Spider" and started again at #1. After four issues of "Web of Scarlet Spider", the series was cancelled to make way for the new "The Sensational Spider-Man" title.

References

* [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/ The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators]
* [http://www.newkadia.com/?Covers=4231 Photo scan of every "Web of Spider-Man" cover]